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Celebrating String Band Music in Middle Tennessee

“Music is a great gift, one of the greatest anybody can have, because it’s something nobody can take away from you. Money can’t buy it. It’s a precious thing, I think, very precious.“

Ernie Carpenter, 1909-1997 | Appalachian fiddler, “Elk River Blues”

Welcome to NOTSBA.org!

The members and Board of Directors of NOTSBA – the Nashville Old Time String Band Association – are dedicated to sharing and promoting Old-Time music. Membership in NOTSBA is open to anyone who has a love for string-band-style tunes. Musicians of all ages and abilities are invited to join in.

We meet to play music at least five times a month – every Thursday night for old-time jams plus our Fourth Sunday Jams featuring an afternoon pot-luck and pickin’ session in the homes of kind-hearted NOTSBA members and friends. Both members and non-members are encourage to attend. If you don’t know a lot about old time music, please come and listen and see if you think you’d enjoy it as much as we do.

We often hold “teaching jams” where volunteer members teach fiddle and banjo tunes in a slower format, but we practically guarantee that no matter what jam you go to, there will be new tunes to savor. Bring a recording device with you… you’ll want to capture all the unfamiliar melodies.

NOTSBA has a performance group that plays for special events, festivals and dances in the Middle Tennessee area throughout the year. Not a jam opportunity, this dedicated ensemble is the result of rehearsals and special arrangements, some that accommodate singing. It’s a joy to attend and perform at these events, many at historical venues.

In addition, NOTSBA hosts an annualBreakin’ Up Winter old-time music retreat each year at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. This 23 year old conference brings together young and old for a weekend of fun and education. There’s usually a dance and plenty of fiddle tunes. It’s always well attended.

Support the Tennessee Arts Commission

NOTSBA wishes to thank the Tennessee Arts Commission for its generous and long-term support of our signature Breakin’ Up Winter event, held annually at the Cedars of Lebanon State Park in March. With this support in mind, please consider helping the TAC in its work promoting the arts through the Tennessee specialty license plate program at http://tnspecialtyplates.org/ and the Gift-a-Tag program at http://tnspecialtyplates.org/gift-a-tag/